This book is full of beauty and yet, heart-wrenching. It's by Paulo Coelho, author of The Alchemist, which is one of my favorite books of all time. I was in a used bookstore in Berkeley, not looking for anything inparticular, when I saw this book by him. Thought I would see what else he had to say-
"I observed the woman I had been up until then: weak but trying to give the impression of strength. Fearful of everything but telling herself it wasn't fear-- it was the wisdom of someone who knew what reality was. Putting up shutters in front of windows to keep the joy of the sun from entering-- just so the sun's rays wouldn't fade my old furniture."
"The universe always helps us to fight for our dreams, no matter how foolish they may be. Our dreams are our own, and only we can know the effort required to keep them alive."
"I also knew that from this moment on I was going to experience heaven and hell, joy and pain, dreams and hopelessness; that I would no longer be capable of containing the winds that blew from the hidden corners of my soul. I knew that from this moment on love would be my guide-- and that it had waited to lead me ever since childhood, when I had felt love for the first time."
"I closed my eyes and let the music flow through me, cleansing my soul of all fear and sin and reminding me that I am always better than I think and stronger than I believe."
